It just occurred to me that all the people who have ever told Carmy they love him are also the ones who have harmed him in some way. I think that's one of the reasons every “I love you” from Richie felt like a punch to the throat in their fridge fight.
Claire said “I love you” while also being capable of minimizing his struggles and even mocking him. And we know how both Donna and Mikry weaponized those words, too, to make Carmen give in to the abuse. And as much as I love Richie, he was enabling both Donna and Mikey as he grew up, he actively engaged on it and imitated it, resulting in the blaming and passive agression that is part of their present dynamic.
All this to say I NEED Carmy to tell Sydney he loves her, without blackmail, without stress, without doubt, fully free, fully hopeful.
Nat has only ever been the person in Carmy’s life who said “I love you” to him without condition and without dismissal of his feelings. I think it’s also interesting that even if Syd has never said the words to him, her actions manifest them. No matter how much he has let her down and how hurt she feels by him, she doesn’t dismiss or belittle his feelings. She has every right to be angry with him, but she doesn’t choose to badmouth him to other people and even talks him up. She does things for Carmy even in the absence of a request, and not solely for her own benefit.
I’m rewatching The Office right now, and this meta takes me back to a quote by Jim Halpert when he was criticizing Dwight Schrute for always having Michael Scott’s back: “What is he getting out of this?” which was immediately followed by his disappointed look at the cameras, because his criticism also applied to him. Because he loved Pam Beesly and would do anything for her despite being engaged to someone else.
So then, what is Sydney getting out of such actions for Carmy? She has said she doesn’t need him. She knows she doesn’t need him. Well clearly, it is because she loves him unconditionally (and if you’re not a SydCarmy shipper, yes this applies platonically too).



















